ARTICLE
Habitat organizations across the country are mobilizing to influence policy and system changes at the federal, state and local levels Nearly 19 million households across the United States are spending at least half of their income on a place to live, often forgoing basic necessities such as food and health care to make ends meet. The stability that housing should bring continues to remain out of reach for many people. On Wednesday, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County (Habitat Bucks) joined Habitat organizations across the country to launch “Cost of Home”, a new national advocacy campaign aimed at improving home affordability for 10 million people in the U.S. over the next five years. Marking significant growth in Habitat’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent place to call home, the Cost of Home campaign seeks to identify and improve policies and systems through coordinated advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels. Cost of Home focuses on improving housing affordability across the housing continuum in four specific policy areas: increasing supply and preservation of affordable homes, equitably increasing access to credit, optimizing land use for affordable homes, and ensuring access to and development of communities of opportunity. Habitat Bucks already has taken several steps toward these goals. Habitat Bucks is expanding their Home Repair program to include critical home repairs and major system repairs in order to preserve existing affordable homes. They are also working with National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) to acquire vacant, abandoned and distressed properties as part of their neighborhood revitalization strategy. “Here in Bucks County over a quarter of our neighbors are housing cost burdened, that is, each day, they are forced to make a choice between paying their rent and buying nutritious food, adequate health care and reliable transportation,” said Florence Kawoczka, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County. “The Cost of Home campaign will be an effective tool for us to use in partnering with our local government and fellow nonprofits in order to make all types of housing affordable.”
Habitat organizations across the country are mobilizing to influence policy and system changes at the federal, state and local levels
Nearly 19 million households across the United States are spending at least half of their income on a place to live, often forgoing basic necessities such as food and health care to make ends meet. The stability that housing should bring continues to remain out of reach for many people.
On Wednesday, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County (Habitat Bucks) joined Habitat organizations across the country to launch “Cost of Home”, a new national advocacy campaign aimed at improving home affordability for 10 million people in the U.S. over the next five years.
Marking significant growth in Habitat’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent place to call home, the Cost of Home campaign seeks to identify and improve policies and systems through coordinated advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels.
Cost of Home focuses on improving housing affordability across the housing continuum in four specific policy areas: increasing supply and preservation of affordable homes, equitably increasing access to credit, optimizing land use for affordable homes, and ensuring access to and development of communities of opportunity.
Habitat Bucks already has taken several steps toward these goals. Habitat Bucks is expanding their Home Repair program to include critical home repairs and major system repairs in order to preserve existing affordable homes. They are also working with National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) to acquire vacant, abandoned and distressed properties as part of their neighborhood revitalization strategy.
“Here in Bucks County over a quarter of our neighbors are housing cost burdened, that is, each day, they are forced to make a choice between paying their rent and buying nutritious food, adequate health care and reliable transportation,” said Florence Kawoczka, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County. “The Cost of Home campaign will be an effective tool for us to use in partnering with our local government and fellow nonprofits in order to make all types of housing affordable.”